The Nebraska football team has had some serious problems with its secondary the last few weeks. Now, they will need to figure things out without the benefit of one of the best defensive backs in the country.
Tommi Hill has been struggling with a plantar fasciitis issue for weeks now and has been trying to play through it. However, when he was able to get on the field, it was clear he was struggling to measure up to what the corner was capable of. And now the injury has been bad enough that the program has decided to shut things down for the rest of the season.
"Tommi will be out the next two games," Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule said during his press conference on Thursday. "He's tried to play. It's obviously tough for him. He's dealing with a lot, so I just shut him down. He's been invited to the Senior Bowl. Maybe he'll be ready for bowl practice, but he's out there, he's playing half speed, three-quarter speed. It led to the first touchdown in the Indiana game, led to the first touchdown in the Illinois game. So I feel for him, came here with high expectations, had the foot injury and it's just never quite been the same."
Nebraska football trying to find a way without Tommi Hill
Rhule added that the decision for Hill to miss the rest of the season was mutual. He added that HIll knew that his game relies on speed. And with the foot injury, he just doesn’t have that weapon in his arsenal anymore.
The announcement comes as Rhule and his staff are under unprecedented pressure to win the Huskers’ sixth game of the season. That pressure has been evident for the coach, who changed offensive coordinators with just three games to go in the 2024 campaign.
For now the pressure will be on a way for the Nebraska football team to find a way to win against Wisconsin. Should they do so, it does sound like there’s a chance Hill could return for a bowl game, which would certainly be a better sendoff for one of the best corners to come through Lincoln in quite a while.